Sermon and Worship Resources

Showing 4451 to 4475 of 4999 results

4451. The Fork in the Road

Mark 8:31-38

Illustration

Scott Hoezee

... font of wisdom, Yogi Berra, "If you come to a fork in the road, take it." Mark 8 is a kind of theological fork in the road. This chapter is the hinge of Mark's gospel. Not only is this the ... is doing and also where he is going (or, better said, where he must go whether he wants to go that direction or not). For the disciples, however, Mark 8 does present a kind of fork in the road. And like Yogi Berra, as they look at the fork in the road, they want to take it. They want it both ways. They want to stick with ...

4452. The Miracle Fruit

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... .miraclefruitplus.com] But the “miracle” about this “miracle fruit” is not what it tastes like. The miracle is what it makes everything else taste like. Hold the berry in your mouth for thirty seconds, chew it up but keep it on your tongue, and feel a kind of tingle. After swallowing the berry take a big bite of a lemon or lime or grapefruit. Instead of sour, those fruits taste incredibly sweet. For about an hour, which is about how long miraculin lasts, you can turn raw lemons into lemonade with no ...

4453. The Darkness of a Youniverse

John 3:1-21

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... not the only news. The news is not just that God loves the world. The news is not just that because of this love God gave his Son. This news also reports that “everyone who believes in him” may enter into a new kind of link with God, a link called “eternal life.” Wait a minute: the “good news” has a qualification. To demonstrate what this new, extraordinary relationship entails John’s gospel immediately goes back to the competing images of “darkness” and “light.” Those “in darkness ...

4454. Sunday Of The Passion (Palm Sunday)

Isaiah 50:1-11

Sermon Aid

John R. Brokhoff

... The soldiers saluted him, "Hail, king of the Jews!" The inscription on the cross was "The king of the Jews." The priests cried, "Let the Christ, the king of Israel, come down from the cross." This king has a different authority, power and wealth. He is the kind of king you can love, worship and obey. On this Passion Sunday we hear Pilate asking us, "Shall I crucify your king?" Outline: Though Jesus is king of kings – a. He suffers humiliation at the hands of his enemies Lesson 1. b. He humbles himself to ...

4455. It's Not a Snuggie Love

Mark 15:1-15, Mark 11:1-11

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... easily into a “love-to-hate” Jesus. The cross of Christ is not “Snuggie Love.” Fuzzy flannel feel-good “Snuggie love” is not the love that Jesus offered on the cross. Cross-love, upright and nailed down, is the kind of love Jesus brought into Jerusalem and, with the help of Simon of Cyrene, the kind of love he carried out of that city on his back. Cross-love exists not in spite of, but because of suffering. Cross-love does not shirk from sacrifice; it seeks out service. Cross-love knows how to ...

4456. Easter 4

1 John 3:11-24, Acts 4:1-22, John 10:1-21

Sermon Aid

John R. Brokhoff

... boldness and certainty? The answer: he was filled with the Holy Spirit. 2. Healed, saved (vv. 9, 12). This pericope gives two kinds of healing: physical and spiritual. The two words, heal and save, come from one Greek word meaning wholeness. To be healed is ... is to let each have his own religion because one will be saved in and by it. Peter would have no part of this kind of thinking. He proclaimed under the influence of the Spirit that there is no salvation apart from Christ. This position is a logical ...

4457. Easter 6

Acts 10:23b-48, 1 John 4:1-6, John 15:1-17, 1 John 5:1-12

Sermon Aid

John R. Brokhoff

... ? The answer: "We love him because he first loved us." 3. Overcomes (vv. 4, 5). The Christian is placed in a hostile world. The "world" represents sin and death. In the world dark and sinister forces are deadly enemies to the Christian. Here we are in this kind of world and Jesus ascends to heaven. How can we cope with these evil forces? John says that faith overcomes the world. How does faith do this? Faith opens up the believer to the guidance and power of the Spirit. By faith God fights our battles for ...

4458. Lent 4

Numbers 21:4-9, Ephesians 2:1-10, John 3:1-21

Sermon Aid

John R. Brokhoff

... Egypt, conditions were not half bad compared with the hardships of wilderness living. The people got tired of the same kind of food month after month. Water was scarce. Some would rather have died in Egypt than have life in ... of our oneness with God. It refers to the mercy of God in sending and sacrificing his Son for a disobedient people. Grace is love of a special kind. It is the love expressed in mercy for those antagonistic to God and disobedient to his laws. It is a love given to those who do not deserve ...

4459. Lent 3

Exodus 20:1-21, 1 Corinthians 1:18--2:5, John 2:12-25

Sermon Aid

John R. Brokhoff

... and absolute. 2. I am (v. 2). The basis for the commandments is "I am." From this the commandments flow as water from a fountain. The laws reflect the person who gave them. Morality is the result of religion. "Be holy as I am holy." How we live indicates the kind of God we have. It also means that when we break a law, we do it not only against society but against God. Stealing adversely affects human victims, but at the same time stealing is a sin against God. 3. Shall (v. 3). Each law in the Decalogue uses ...

4460. Advent 2

Mark 1:1-8, 2 Peter 3:1-18, Isaiah 40:1-31

Sermon Aid

John R. Brokhoff

... Advent, we are on the road to Bethlehem for the birth of Christ. Will we get there in time for the Christ to be born anew in our hearts? It depends on the road we travel and the kind of road it is. John the Baptist was sent to urge us to build a road on which Christ would come and Isaiah prescribes the kind of road we need to build. Outline: The road that leads to Bethlehem – a. A straight road of righteousness Isaiah 40:3. b. A level road of humility Isaiah 40:4a. c. A smooth road of graciousness ...

4461. Christ The King

2 Samuel 23:1-7, Revelation 1:4-8, John 18:28-40

Sermon Aid

John R. Brokhoff

... bear witness to the truth of Christ. Outline: You were born to tell the truth – a. The truth of God's nature in Christ revelation. What kind of a God do you show the world? b. The truth of God's work in Christ redemption. What are you doing to share this ... . 1. b. A person anointed by God at baptism v. 1. c. A sweet singer of God's praise v. 1. 2. Two destinies for two kinds of people. 23:5-7. Need: What David says in these verses is the same view of ethics stated in Psalm 1. David agrees that the ...

4462. Proper 13

2 Samuel 11:26--12:13a, John 6:25-59, Ephesians 4:1-16

Sermon Aid

John R. Brokhoff

... in him. They ask for a sign that would persuade them to believe in him and refer to the manna received in the wilderness. Jesus assures them that God sent the bread from heaven, the bread that gives life to the world. Then they ask him to give this kind of bread. He reveals that he is the Bread of Life. Whoever comes to him and believes in him will never hunger nor thirst. THEOLOGICAL REFLECTIONS Gospel: John 6:24-35 1. Seek (vv. 24, 26). The people sought Jesus. They took a lot of time and traveled, for ...

4463. Proper 16

John 6:25-59, 1 Kings 8:22-61, Ephesians 6:10-20

Sermon Aid

John R. Brokhoff

... (v. 11). A Christian is a soldier of God. He lives in an evil world which is in constant conflict with the forces of righteousness. No military person would think of going into battle without proper equipment. Broom handles are no substitute for real guns. The kind of armor is determined by the nature of the fight and the enemy. Paul points out that Christians fight a spiritual war and consequently must be spiritually equipped. It is important to note that a Christian's armor is not self-made, but it is ...

4464. Proper 17

James 1:19-27, Song of Songs 2:1-17, Mark 7:1-23

Sermon Aid

John R. Brokhoff

... without being Christian v. 26. b. Being Christian without being religious v. 27. 1. Social concerns. 2. Personal piety. 2. Now that's my kind of God! (1:17-21). Need: Each person has his own God. Our lives fare according to the God we hold. Some have a ... is a God so intimate that he is covered with the dust of familiarity. Let us look at James' God in the text. Outline: Now this is my kind of God – a. The giver of only good v. 17. b. One who is forever constant v. 17. c. One who saves by his Word vv. 18-21 ...

4465. Proper 18

Proverbs 22:1-16, Mark 7:24-37, James 2:1-13

Sermon Aid

John R. Brokhoff

... it is publicized. Protestants are sure that we are saved by faith alone. It depends on what is meant by faith. James is writing about a faith different from Paul's concept of faith. There is a kind of faith that cannot save. Many pastors have a suspicion that some of their members have the faith that cannot save. What kind of faith is it? Outline: The faith that cannot save – a. A faith without works v. 14. b. A faith that is dead v. 17. 2. A sacred conjunction: And (2:18). Need: For centuries there has ...

4466. Proper 23

Job 23:1--24:25, Hebrews 4:1-13, Hebrews 4:14-5:10, Mark 10:17-31

Sermon Aid

John R. Brokhoff

... with the man of the text who could not wait to get real life. He ran to Jesus, kneeling he begged Jesus to give him life. He wanted "eternal life." He had life in the sense of existence, but he wanted something more a life of quality. It was that kind of life that existed both in this world and the next. Today people are more interested in life today rather than in life after death. The tragedy of this story is that the young man turned down the opportunity to get real life the price was too high! Outline ...

4467. Proper 25

Job 42:1-6, Job 42:7-17, Mark 10:46-52, Hebrews 7:11-28

Sermon Aid

John R. Brokhoff

... better than you asked (42:1-6). Need: We ask God for something and he gives us not what we asked for but something better. Job asked to know the reason for an innocent person's adversity as he experienced it. He was a just and godly man but all kinds of tragedy happened to him and his family. At the end of the argument with friends and God, Job does not get an answer; he gets something better: God. Outline: The best God can give – a. An understanding of God vv. 2-5. 1. All-powerful v. 2. 2. Unchangeable ...

4468. Proper 26

Mark 12:28-34, Hebrews 9:11-28, Ruth 1:1-22

Sermon Aid

John R. Brokhoff

... to ask a question? b. You fear that it is a foolish question? c. You have the answer in Christ? Old Testament: Ruth 1:1-18 1. Love knows no boundaries (1:1-5). Need: Today many love only their own kind: race, nation or family. We need to see and then practice the kind of love that knows no boundaries just as in the story of Ruth, Orpah and Naomi. Orpah and Ruth were foreigners to Naomi. Today ethnic rivalries are causing much bloodshed and destruction. Outline: Love knows no boundaries – a. Love is color ...

4469. Proper 4

2 Corinthians 4:1-18, 1 Samuel 3:1--4:1, Mark 2:23-3:6

Sermon Aid

John R. Brokhoff

... see Jesus in his followers. How they talk and walk shows the world how Jesus talks and walks. The world will not listen to a sermon or read a gospel, but looks at Jesus-people to learn the gospel. Paul claims that even in our afflictions we portray Christ. What kind of a Christ do we reveal is it a clear or a distorted view of Christ? PREACHING POSSIBILITIES Gospel: Mark 2:23-28 1. A radical view of Sunday (2:23-28). Need: In this passage Jesus shows himself as a radical in his treatment of the Sabbath. He ...

4470. The Comforts of "Thy Rod and Thy Staff": Rulership or Relationship

John 10:1-21

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... to cut the spiciness of another. Not a unity that mixes the too hot with the too cold to make some kind of a spew-worthy lukewarm faith (Rev. 3:16). Not a unity that forces St. Roberts’ Rules of Order into communities where St. Paul’s Rules ... of the Spirit are free flowing. The kind of unity that joins us into one “flock” is the “perfect harmony” of the Spirit of Christ. In Colossians 3:14, Paul says ...

4471. A Violent Wind

Acts 2:1-13

Sermon

King Duncan

... see the Spirit, but we should be able to see its effect in our life. We should have more joy, more love, more vitality if God lives within us. The church at Pentecost was a joyful, loving dynamic group of individuals when the Spirit came upon them. We need that kind of Spirit if we are going to be what God calls us to be. Here’s the final thing to be said about wind: wind cannot be controlled; it blows where it will. As Dr. DeYoung puts it, “Wind is a powerful force. It cannot be stopped or controlled ...

4472. Afraid No More

Romans 8:1-17

Sermon

King Duncan

... being afraid and doing it anyway. (7) Her uncle was very wise. We never solve our fears by running away from them. If you’re afraid of speaking up in a group, if you’re afraid of trusting your instincts, if you’re afraid of taking a risk of any kind it won’t help to give into those fears. It’s like being afraid of crossing a bridge that fear won’t go away by forever taking another path home. We deal with fear when we acknowledge and confront that fear. That is where our faith is so important to ...

4473. It's a Mystery

John 3:1-17

Illustration

Mickey Anders

You can analyze, even over-analyze sailing, by breaking it down into the scientific principles involved. You can study the Beaufort scale of wind speed, the principle of lift which pulls the boat through the water rather than pushing it, the many kinds and purposes of knots, the charts with all their legends and hieroglyphics, and the intricacies of sail trim. All of those can make you a better sailor, but it's for nothing if you can't merely experience the joy and mystery of the wind on your face and your ...

4474. Mark 4: 26-34

Mark 4:26-29

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... nests in its branches,” his words echo a similar description found in Ezekiel 17:22-23. In Ezekiel’s text, however, the divinely rooted plant is a towering, noble cedar—-a tad more imposing than a mustard bush, no matter how large. In that cedar, “every kind of bird will live,” an image used in Ezekiel and in other Old Testament texts (see Psalm 104:12; Ezekiel 31:6; Daniel 4:9-21) to suggest the future inclusion of the Gentile nations into God’s purposes and power. Jesus’ use of a mustard ...

4475. Excellence in Giving

2 Corinthians 8:1-15

Sermon

King Duncan

... is going through uncertain times. I don’t know how you felt as you watched the stock market meltdown last fall. For some people it was a very helpless feeling. Some of you watched the money in your retirement accounts slowly disappear. One guy said he took a kind of Zen attitude towards it all. He started off with $50,000 Zen he had $40,000, Zen he had $30,000, Zen he had... Another man said his laundry called and said, “We’ve lost your shirt.” Then his broker called and said the same thing. Well ...

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